Making your own juice at home and involving your child in the process is such a simple and easy way to bring even the youngest children into a more connected relationship with their food. Even an infant seated on your lap can watch in wonder as their parent cuts an orange in half and reveals the beauty of nature’s geometric art and design inside. Older toddlers can help their parents squeeze the juicer and watch as that golden juice drips right into their cup. Take time to let your child look, touch, smell, and taste as you slow down and connect through this sensory rich experience.
Materials Needed:
1-2 Oranges
Cutting Board
Child safe knife
Citrus juice press
Cup
Instructions:
- Seat your child on your lap or sit next to them at the table.
- Modeling safe knife skills, show your child how to cut the orange in half
- Take a moment to notice the colors and shapes you see inside the fruit. Point them out to your child. Try cutting different varieties of citrus fruits and marvel at the different colors. Model smelling and even licking the cut fruit and invite your child to do the same.
- Place half of the cut orange face down into the juice press and squeeze the juice into the cup. Allow your child to help squeeze if they are able.
- Take a small sip of the juice (modeling trying something new) then pass the cup to your child. Name some of the taste sensations you experience – bitter, sweet, tangy, sour, bright!
- Take a moment to notice the texture of the peel and point out any seeds you can find. Maybe you can use the seeds to plant your very own citrus tree?
